1. Industrial Useful Field
This invention relates to a push-type clutch wherein a release bearing, to which an inner peripheral part of a diaphragm spring is coupled, is pushed toward a flywheel side and an outer peripheral part of the diaphragm spring is moved in the opposite direction, so as to release the clutch. This invention especially relates, in detail, to a self adjuster for automatic adjustment of the clutch as wear of facing occurs.
2. Prior Art and Its Problem
As regards the pull-type clutch equipped with the mechanism enabling the adjustment according to the wear of facing, such mechanism is shown in applicant's Japan Patent Application No. 61-142140.
In such mechanism hereof, a diaphragm spring 5, a retainer 7, a lever 50 (load transmission lever) and a pressure plate 2 are installed inside a clutch cover 4. Releasing operation is carried out by a release lever 6c through a sleeve 6a and a release bearing 6b which are coupled to the retainer 7. The retainer 7 is locked by a pin 7b, and the pin 7b is secured by a flange 7c to the clutch cover 4.
In FIG. 10, 50a is an outside fulcrum point of the lever 50 and 51 is an inertial brake, 3 and 3 are clutch discs, 3a and 3a are clutch facings, 52 is an intermediate plate and 1 is an engine flywheel.
The lever 50 is interposed between the retainer 7 and an adjust ring 11 threaded clutch cover 4. When the facings 3a and 3a of the clutch discs 3 and 3 are worn out, the position of adjust ring 11 is adjusted in a clutch axial direction by turning a threaded part 11a of the adjust ring 11. Therefore, the adjusting work is troublesome.
On the other hand, as regards an automatic adjusting device for a clutch, Japan Patent Application (KOKAI) No. 60-143228, based on U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,643, is well known. This device is composed of the first boss member having a worm screw on its outer peripheral surface, a second boss member having a pin, and first and second coil springs connecting both boss members etc. Because both boss members are resiliently connected by elastic forces of the first and second coil springs, in such automatic adjusting device automatic adjustment can not be done smoothly.
In applicant's Japanese Utility Model Applications No.1-4594 and No.1-4595, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,687, an adjuster for pull-type clutch enables an automatic position adjustment of the adjust ring and further enables a smooth adjustment thereof when the facings are worn out. In a push-type clutch, however, the above-mentioned self adjuster has been unknown.